Particle Matter

In 2015, the environmental organizations Milieudefensie and the Amsterdam Environmental Center published a list of the 10 most polluted streets in Amsterdam. I set out to explore what the particle matter that drifting through the streets of Amsterdam actually looks like. Because these particles are so small, very few people have ever truly seen the fine dust floating through the city with the naked eye. Institutions like the GGD (Public Health Service) and RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) measure air quality in the Netherlands using advanced equipment. The filters and tapes from these machines—collected over the past ten years—have been made available to me by the GGD for further investigation. With a fresh perspective, I’ve selected and analyzed samples that show striking shifts in the color and composition of the dust.
• Cabinet of Dust, 180 x 40 x 15 cm
• Floating Particle I, 40 x 50 cm
• Floating Particle II–X, various sizes
• Drifting Particle I, 60 x 80 cm
• Drifting Particle II, 80 x 80 cm
• Selection I, II, 24 x 30 cm
• Special Selection I–III, 40 x 50 cm
• Workstation, 80 x 60 cm